Evidence of interference between electron-phonon and electron-impurity scattering on the conductivity of thin metal films

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the resistivity \ensuremath{\rho} of thin gold films (thickness d=100--400 \AA{}) has been measured at T=30 mK--300 K. In a wide temperature range below ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Theta}}}_{\mathit{D}}$/15 (${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Theta}}}_{\mathit{D}}$ is the Debye temperature) \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\rho}(T)/\ensuremath{\rho} is proportional to ${\mathit{T}}^{2}$ and does not depend on the mean free path of electrons. Experimental determinations of the dependences \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\rho}(T)/\ensuremath{\rho} in this temperature range are in good agreement with the correction to the impurity resistivity of a normal metal due to the quantum interference between the electron-phonon and electron-impurity interactions.